Living Kidney - Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Living Kidney Donor Program

Summer (left), kidney recipient (transplanted October 2021) with her living donor, Nedra

Living Kidney Donor Program

Introduction

Raul (right), kidney recipient (transplanted March 2016) with his donor and friend, Albert

Why Cho

Living

About The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

One of the nation's leading academic health centers, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center offers health care services in virtually every specialty and subspecialty in medicine. In 2022, the U.S. News & World Report "Best Hospitals" rankings named the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center in the top 10% of all hospitals in the nation based on outcomes, structure, patient experience and expert opinion, ranking in nine specialties. The Comprehensive Transplant Center at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center is one of the largest in the United States, performing nearly 600 liver, kidney, pancreas, combined kidney-pancreas, heart and lung transplants each year. Since our program began in 1967, we have performed more than 11,500 lifesaving organ transplants.

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oose to be a

Kidney Donor?

Patients with end-stage renal (kidney) disease have three options for treatment: dialysis, a kidney transplant from a deceased donor or a kidney transplant from a living donor.

Dialysis is only a temporary solution. While a patient can remain on dialysis for many years, it's not a cure for kidney disease. It is also time-consuming, with treatment schedules as frequent as three times each week for four hours each session.

Transplantation is a preferred alternative, but the demand for donated organs is greater than the number available, and demand is steadily increasing. United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the organization responsible for allocating deceased donor organs for transplant, reports there are approximately 90,000 candidates waiting for a kidney transplant. In 2021, 24,670 kidney transplants were performed in the United States, with 18,669 from deceased donors and 5,971 from living donors.

The best and fastest option for a patient waiting for a kidney is to receive one from a living donor. Wait times for patients with living donors are reduced from years to months, and transplant recipients have better outcomes with kidneys from living donors. According to the National Kidney Registry, kidneys transplanted from living donors may last nearly twice as long as kidneys from deceased donors.

At any given time, about 700 patients in Ohio State's transplant program are awaiting a kidney transplant ? many whose lives could be changed by a living donor.

Patients with a living donor can receive a transplant more quickly, potentially avoiding dialysis. The wait for a kidney from a deceased donor can be many years.

About a third of the transplants performed at Ohio State use kidneys from live donors. Often these donors are family members, but a growing number are friends or co-workers. There are also people who choose to donate a kidney without having a specific recipient in mind. These extraordinary people are called non-directed or altruistic donors.

Ashley (center), non-directed donor (donated July 2014), with her parents

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Qualifications for Living Donors

To qualify as a living donor, an individual should be in good overall physical and mental health and free from uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and organ disease.

Individuals considered for living donation are usually between the ages of 18 and 75. Gender and race are not factors in determining a successful match.

Living donor candidates must take a blood test to determine blood type compatibility with the recipient.

DONORS WITH BLOOD TYPE A B AB O

CAN DONATE TO PATIENTS WITH BLOOD TYPE A and AB B and AB AB

A, B, AB and O

If the donor and recipient have compatible blood types, the donor undergoes a medical history review and a complete physical examination, in addition to tests to ensure compatibility. The donor and recipient may also have to complete a psychological evaluation. It's important to note that even if a donor's blood type is not compatible with the recipient's, there is still the option to be an indirect donor for your recipient. Please review the information on Kidney Paired Donation on page 6.

The decision to become a living donor is a voluntary one, and the donor may change their mind at any time during the process. The donor's decision and reasons are kept confidential.

Education is the most important component in the decision to become a living kidney donor. If you are considering donation, you can speak with a living donor coordinator at the Ohio State Comprehensive Transplant Center by calling 614-293-6724, option 3 or visit our education webpage at wexnermedical.osu.edu/KidneyEducation.

Donors and recipients took part in a five-way kidney paired donation chain transplant on Valentine's Day 2017. 4

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